Lately, I’ve had a lot of thoughts about technology, accessibility and the world at large that have no natural place to go. So I’m going to try and blog about it. Wish me luck!
The Blog Returns
Posted in Announcements, and Random Personal Nonsense
Category: Announcements
Updating iOS Access for All
Posted in Access and Disability, and Announcements
It’s fall tech season again. Even before the calendar confirms the season’s change, Apple has given us one of the traditional markers – new hardware and a date on which we’ll all be downloading the new versions of its software. And I’m working on the update to my book, iOS Access for All, like I do each autumn. Anyone who buys the current (iOS 14 edition) from now until the update is released will receive the brand-new iOS 15 edition when it’s ready. Such a deal!
Quite an Honor
Posted in Access and Disability, Announcements, New Media and Tech, and Pods and Presos
I got a phone call a couple of months ago letting my know that my audio documentary, 36 Seconds that Changed Everything: How the iPhone Learned to Talk won a Barbara Jordan Media Award. These honors are presented annually to media professionals and students in recognition of positive and inclusive representations of people with disabilities, here in Texas. There was to be an awards ceremony at Texas A&M, last month, but the pandemic put a stop to that. The folks at the Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities had award recipients record messages, which have been assembled into a (very…
My first article for MacStories is a doozy. I actually just wrote the word, “doozy.” Moving on! I’ve taken 6,500 or so words to chronicle ten years of iOS accessibility, feature by feature, release by release, in true MacStories style. Who else but Federico and his team would have let me write at such length in a voice that’s all my own? The story is inspired by “36 Seconds that Changed Everything.” Check it out!
I Made A Thing! “36 Seconds that Changed Everything: How the iPhone Learned to Talk”
Posted in Access and Disability, Announcements, New Media and Tech, and Podcasting
I’m thrilled to announce the release of my audio documentary, “36 Seconds that Changed Everything: How the iPhone Learned to Talk.” It’s the story of how accessibility features came to the iPhone in 2009, how that event rocked some people’s world, and how most didn’t even notice. You can listen to the documentary or read a transcript at the web site I made (it looks remarkably like this one, I know, but an accessible theme is an accessible theme), so I thought that here, I’d write a bit about why I produced it. Oh, you can also hear the documentary…
36 Seconds That Changed Everything
Posted in Access and Disability, Announcements, and New Media and Tech
I’m excited to announce the release of my audio documentary, “36 Seconds That Changed Everything: How the iPhone Learned to Talk.” “36 Seconds” tells the story of how the iPhone went from being utterly inaccessible to people with disabilities, to the leading mobile device for people who are blind, have a hearing loss, or experience a motor disability. The story is largely told from the point of view of people who were left out when the iPhone debuted in 2007, because they were physically unable to use the device. But two years later, Apple added accessibility features, mostly for people…
New Year, New Shows and a Book!
Posted in Access and Disability, Announcements, New Media and Tech, and Pods and Presos
When it comes to not keeping my blog updated, I’m in good company around the Internet. And yet, I feel badly about it. The iOS 12 edition of my book, iOS Access for All is out in the world. Please go get one. The ePub and Apple Books editions (which are identical, but for the fact that Apple Books takes 30 percent) are on the virtual shelves. The PDF version, of which I’ve spoken lovingly so many times, will be out soon. Reaction has been kind, and I appreciate it: I love @shelly ‘s ios book! So much useful info…
Podcast Roundup: Parallel Gathers Steam
Posted in Announcements, and Podcasting
Lately, I’ve been obsessed with automating new processes. At work, I’ve long automated text-processing tasks, but I’m expanding that to web work, and building workflows around podcast production. What I have yet to tackle is my tendency to forget about this lovely little blog. If you wonder why I do, perhaps take a listen to some podcasts I’ve been making, and where I’ve been appearing. More of that is on the way when the book comes out in a few weeks. So yeah. Gotta automate more, and perhaps talk about it. For now, please enjoy Parallel episodes #3 through #6 and Mccessibility…
iOS Access for All, iOS 12 Edition is on its Way
Posted in Access and Disability, Announcements, and General Store
I just announced that the iOS 12 edition of my book will be available later this fall, and that you can get it free if you buy a copy of the iOS 11 edition between now and the release date for the new book. That’s my standard release strategy, and one of the things I do on release day each year is to send out new books to all the folks who buy after the update announcement. They get their books first, even before I plug the release on social, or on my Web site. I’m raising the price of…
Podcast Roundup: New Parallel Episodes, Guest Shots, and Maccessibility’s Return
Posted in Announcements, and Pods and Presos
Platforms, Web sites and social networks occasionally overwhelm me, and I occasionally feel as though I’m overwhelming the various outlets I use with announcements of the things I’m up to. So this is a roundup of shows I’ve made and been a part of lately, because I neglected to post them when they happened. Parallel #2 features my guest, audio description pro Valerie Hunter. Clockwise #255 is the most beautifully short tech podcast I know of, and they let me on last week. MacVoices #18189 featuring the MacJury is Chuck Joiner’s video panel show where iPhone wishes and rumors are…